Fall to Darkness
by Iamwhononofyouare
Summary: Aizen gives Ichigo a chance to become stronger. Takes place before Winter War. Ichigo turns ruthless, etc. Rating may go up to T.
1. Chapter 1

Fall to Darkness

-6 years ago-

"Mom?" A young boy asked, as he gazed upon his unmoving mother in the rain.

"Mom?" The remarkably orange haired boy asked again. Nothing answered him, no one would.

"MOM!" The young man -who we know as Ichigo- was increasingly worried. His mother still was not moving and there was quite a bit of blood on her.

-Present day-

"I'm sorry mom. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you." Ichigo hated being powerless, one night later he got his wish. But with great power comes great responsibility.

-1 year later-

"Aizen will make his move in the winter." Urahara informed, lacking his usual stupid grin.

"We already know that." Ichigo replied irratably.

"Yes but what are we doing about it?" Urahara asked. "I certainly haven't done anything." He lied easily, Aizen could be spying and he didn't want anyone to know anyway.

"Somehow I doubt that." Ichigo said in a rare moment of understanding.

"My my, have I been hearing things or did my naive little pupil just think for himself?" Urahara teased the orange haired teen.

A vein pulsed slightly in Ichigo's forehead. "Shut UP!"

"What a _great_ comeback."

**-Hueco Mundo-**

"Szayel have you prepared the device?"

"Of course, though I really am curious as to what you'd need such a thing for."

"Soon you will see." Aizen, the Lord of Las Noches, replied in his usual calm manner.

**-Karakura Town-**

Aizen smiled as he stepped out of the garganta, Gin behind him was smiling his usual creepy grin.

"Time to show our young hot-head the light." Aizen commented.

"You are suprisingly fond of subtle puns, Aizen-taichou." Gin quipped back easily. Said former captain made no reply.

"Although I wonder if I am rushing things." Aizen was uncharactaristically hesitant.

The duo walked in silence to the Kurosaki residence. Entering through Ichigo's window "as was fashion" they lightly stepped in before grabbing the young man before the resident midget caught on and woke up.

"We've got him, what now?" Gin asked, always curious.

"Simple." The brown-haired traitor replied, bringing the 'device' that Szayel had prepared out of his shihakusho.

Carefully Aizen poured his reaitsu into the boy, hougyoku, and device all at once. Steadily raising it to the point where even he broke a sweat. Concentrating he completed the process.

-**Morning-**

"Iiiichhiiiigooo! Wake up sleepy head!" The maniacal Kurosaki father charged into his sons room.

"Shut up old goat." Ichigo said as he simply rolled off his bed and opened the window.

The flying kick that Isshin had preformed proved to be his downfall, he flew straight out the window and landed with a nice thud on the ground.

"Tired." Was all Ichigo said as he absentmindedly went to the bathroom.

**-Hueco Mundo-**

"Aizen-sama, the boy is waking." A calm voice spoke form an even more pale figure that was not quite human.

"Thank you, Ulquiorra." Aizen replied and entered the room.

Blinking the orange haired substitute shinigami opened his eyes.

"You... my head."

"Such a wonderful greeting, now when you feel up to it, we'll talk buisness."

"You... Kidnapped me?" Ichigo praticaly seethed.

"No, I simply wished to educate you." Aizen replied pleasantly.

"In what way?" Ichigo asked.

"What would you wish to know about first? Your father, mother perhaps? Or maybe it's why I even betrayed the Soul Society."

"You think you know more about my family than I do!?"

"I do actually. I have all of your memories as well as all of my own. And considering that without me you would'nt exist... yes I know much more about everything than you do."

"My memories... you're lying." Ichigo truly wanted what he said to be true, however his gut betrayed him.

"I could breifly replay your life for you if you wanted."

Ichigo squinted, "I dare you to try."

"Now I could act it out for you, or I could play back on the big screen here, which would you prefer?" Aizen asked contentedly.

"You could have just filmed my whole life, it's creepy. But that also means you could play back my life no problem, doesn't prove you have my _memories_ though does it?"

Aizen smiled, the boy caught onto his wording that well, not suprising at all. "Be aware that if I do this, there is no release." Aizen said as he drew his zanpakuto.

"Fine."

"Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu." With that a rapid 'life of Kurosaki' began, Aizen taking the form and appearance of Ichigo and playing the part perfectly.

Hours later when the little play was over all Ichigo could to was look down as the ground, all that... remembering his own weakness hurt.

"At this point you feel weak, worthless, and convinced that I do indeed have your memories, correct?"

Ichigo nodded dumbly.

"What would you say if I offfered you the training and power to protect all your loved ones, and defeat those that would harm them, me included of course."

Ichigo looked up with new fire, "Yes."

**Authors Note: **I have no beta or spell check on this computer so hammer me without pity if I spell something wrong. This is just a side story that I write when I don't have access to a higher level of word document. Please review and tell me what you think.


	2. Chapter 1, post Prolouge

Fall to Darkness, Ch 2

"So then, shall we begin?" Aizen asked the orange haired hybrid.

"What about my family? I don't want to worry them."

"Thought of and solved, as far as anyone not in Las Noches knows you're living your normal everyday life." The brown haired traitors voice was as smooth as he had trained it to be, very.

"Thanks I guess, where do we start?" The pair were standing in the middle of Las Noches, where it had a fake sun and the floor was sand, red pillars stood in rather random, as far as Ichigo could see, locations.

"Quite naturally your weak point, reiatsu control. If you don't work on it you'll get sleeping disorders and be constantly hungry." He added with the slightest of edges.

"Oh... So, how does that work?" Ichigo asked, looking up at the taller and far older man.

"You know how to use it in an energy attack to an extent yes? Imagine something that will hold all of your reiatsu and push it into there, then hold it."

"You might want to close your eyes, it makes it easier to concentrate." Aizen added, he _had_ taught more than just caligraphy (though not officially), some of the Espada needed help with reiatsu control as well. Though he did usually just send Tosen to teach them.

Ichigo closed his eyes and imagined a towel, then put all of his reiatsu into it... it quickly became soaked and he leaked all over the place just like before.

"... What were you using?" Aizen asked patiently.

"A towel." Ichigo answered simply.

At least now he understood why he hadn't succeeded, "Instead use a bottomless pit."

Ichigo again closed his eyes and imagined a bottomless pit then he took all of his reiatsu into it. It was succesful but it lasted only a half second.

"Now feel your reiryoku flowing through you."

Ichigo did so.

"Redirect it into your bottomless pit." Aizen instructed.

Ichigo did so, he now leaked about half of what he usually did.

Aizen almost imperceptibly raised on eyebrow, then said, "Now hold that all day and I'll teach you more tomorrow."

"I don't have weeks to learn! I need to be strong now!" Ichigo jumped up and screamed at his new sensei.

"And that's why you'll fail. You just released your reiatsu for no reason." Aizen said coldly and walked away.

"I won't fail... I won't fail!" Ichigo furiously reigned in his reiatsu untill only a quarter was leaking. And stomped around Las Noches untill he needed to sleep, rather than asking Aizen or his minions where to find a bed he opted to sleep on the sand.

**-Control Room-**

Aizen and Gin were watching the live feed of Ichigo as well as the reiatsu detectors... Aizen smiled.

"That temper of his is annoying, but so easy to manipulate for good." At that comment Gin smiled wider.

**-Urahara's Shop-**

"Tessai, something feels off about Ichigo." The blond owner commented to his long-time friend.

"He has alot on his mind boss" The big tan man replied as he poured them both tea.

"No that, his reiatsu was always growing, but for some reason it has stopped." Urahara replied as he sipped his tea.

"Hmm..."

**-Hueco Mundo-**

As he woke up form his slumber Ichigo cursed, he had sand in his mouth and his reiatsu control had slipped in the night. Concentrating he reduced his output to about a third of his old normal. The crunching sound of footsteps entered into his ears and he looked up to see a smiling Aizen.

"Good morning, ryoka boy."

"Morning, Aizen."

"Now feel out all the little rivulets of reiryoku as it flows to your skin and then out of your body, make it stay inside and siphon most off into your bottomless pit."

After on hour of failure Ichigo got it down to a little lower than a tenth. Aizen smiled.

"Hold that when you sleep and then seek me out." So saying Aizen left the boy and went of his way.

**-4 days later-**

"Hah! Take that you ba**ard!" Ichigo yelled as he woke up for the fifth time on the sand, he could now hold his reiatsu at a tenth when he slept and a twentieth while awake.

As soon as he said this Aizen appeared. With the pale not-quite-human from when he first arrived.

"Ulqiorra here will fight you now, keep your reiatsu under complete control except when needed." He instucted and vanished from view, although unbeknownst to the two of them he was merely hiding his presence with Kyoka Suigetsu.

With a yell Ichigo dashed at the dark haired and seemingly emotionless arrancar -not that Ichigo knew yet what an arrancar was.

Ulqiorra easily deflected all the blows aimed at him, annoying the hot head substitute.

"Trash." Ulqiorra stated as he stabbed through Ichigo's shoulder.

Scowling Ichigo jumped back at raised his sword high, "Getsuga Tensho!" He yelled releasing the blue crescent at his foe.

The green eyed former hollow simply back handed the energy attack away and then waited, watching his opponent.

Ichigo's eyes widened _'How strong are these guys?'_ he continued _'I need Bankai... but I don't dare I can't let him take control.'_

_**'What are you scared of King? I don't need a King who is scared of his own power, I have more control and no fear, I should be the King!'**_

Black started to creep over his sclera even as the hollow cackled in his mind. _'No!... stop!'_

_**'If you want me to stop... MAKE ME!'**_

Ichigo clutched at his skull and began screaming even as he fought against his hollow.

_'Seems I'll need to learn how to get rid of the inner hollow problem... Grimmjow should work.'_

Ichigo finaly -and barely- drove his inner hollow back, even as Aizen manipulated Grimmjow so that he went with his fraction and caused a ruckus in Karakura, giving fake Ichigo a believable reason to demand the previously rejected Vizard training, thus relaying the method to Aizen who immediatly prepared, along with those of his Espada who could keep a secret, Gin, and Kaname.

**(A/N: It's been to long since I watched this part of bleach -the Vizard training- and you all vaguely remember it so I'm skipping it sorry if that makes anyone unhappy.)**

Several hours and some aching muscles all 'round later and Ichigo was now training to hold his mask for longer periods of time. Aizen paced the fake Ichigo a little slower than the real one, feeling that the reiatsu control training he had already gone through would help him hold it for longer.

**-1 week later-**

"27 seconds." Tosen announced.

Panting, Ichigo went to him and slumped down, his mask fragments already dissolved. Gin, who had been fighting him, followed more sedately and grabbed some water for himself just after Ichigo did so.

"You make good progress kid, you run less now." Gin complemented.

Looking anywhere but the creepy grin face Ichigo replied, "Yeah but I still only get 27 seconds with the mask."

"The mask is scary, 27 seconds is plenty." The teal haired former captain replied.

"Yeah say that all you want but you still haven't had to use bankai on me."

"I save it untill I really need it, you'll find most captains do." Gin answered the substitute.

"Is that why Zaraki has no bankai? Saving it for later?" Ichigo asked jokingly.

Gin smiled wider as he gave an amused snort, "I reckon so." His voice was filled with humor.

"Good to know someone here has a sense of humor, I think Aizen does but he doesn't seem to show it."

"Yeah most of the Espada aren't much for jokes, and Tosen is so... well humor ain't his thing." The squinty eyed man agreed.

**-3 Days later-**

"27 seconds... guess you can't take it any farther on just training huh?" This time it was Gin who held the clock and Tosen did the fighting.

Ichigo spat out a mild profanity and grabbed some water.

"I don't understand it, why can't i get it to go longer?"

"Who knows?"

"Aizen-sama said that if you made no progress on the mask today then you would stop this training and move on to what he originaly planned on." Tosen announced.

Gin pouted, "He didn't tell me this."

"Ok then, whats next?"

"Aizen-sama has deemed your hoho and zanjutsu good enough, therefore we shall work on kido."

"Has deemed... so you hink they aren't?"

"While your shunpo is good I believe that your zanjutsu is still immature." Tosen replied evenly.

Ichigo looked at the ground and clenched his fist, he knew it was true. Which made it no better to hear.

"As soon as you are ready, Aizen-sama himself will instruct you."

"Now, I can't wait to get strong, there is not time enough, I will start now."

In under a minute Aizen appeared, smiling.

"Now you will see why reiatsu control is so very important. I won't expect perfection, your hollow side will prevent that I am sure."

"I'll be strong enough to protect them, my family. I don't have to be perfect, just the strongest to do so." Ichigo stated forcefully.

Inwardly Aizen was smiling and laughing to himself beyond control, outwardly he merely widened his smile slightly.

"Then come, we'll go to a better place than this to practice." After saying this Aizen shunpoed away with Ichigo close on his heels.

They entered Las Noches and went underground to a room which appeared to have targets out in the distance, some near some far.

"The key to kido is controlling you reiryoku and shaping it, outside your body of course." Aizen stated as he made a blue ball of reiryoku and juggled it.

After watching Aizen intently Ichigo brought out his own reiryoku ball, larger and with hints of black however. He tried moving it but it promtly blew up in his face.

"Even I had trouble, your pratice form Shiba Kukaku's place should help you."

This of course brought back memories... some good some bad. It also brought back the memory of the little sheild ball thing.

Ichigo drew some reiryoku from his pit and took it out in the form of a cube, he threw it onto the ground with only a small amount of force, it did not explode. He then turned it into a sphere after a couple minutes of trying and returned it to his hand. He then slowly juggled it as he had seen Aizen do.

After a few minutes of this and after getting a rythm he turned to his sensei and asked, "Why did you turn traitor, and what are you waiting for?"

"I seek to overthrow the corrupt government of the Soul Society and I wait for two things now."

Ichigo raised a curious brow that signified is desire for Aizen to continue.

"I wait for a way into the Royal Dimension and for the hougyoku to mature." Aizen explained.

"Why are you training me?" Ichigo asked, disipating his kido ball.

"Because I sense a power in you, a humbling power. A power that has potential to surpass mine own."

"You don't sense it, you know it's there with all your mind-numbing knowledge." Ichigo stated confidently.

Aizen chuckled, "You are wiser than you seem as well. But, no slacking, continue practice."

Ichigo reformed his kido sphere in a comfortable and cognative silence.

_'It is unfortunate, but this was destined to be...'_

_'Why, Sosuke... don't sacrifice yourself.'_

_'No Kyoka... this is needed for life to continue I must disapear, perhaps not die but disapear.'_

_'Whatever you choose, remember me, Sosuke.'_

After half an hour Aizen broke the silence, "Now try this. Hado 1, Sho." For emphasis he shot Ichigo with it, pushing the boy back a few feet.

"How does that work?" Ichigo asked but without waiting for an answer he called the image of what Aizen had done into his head and called out, "Hado 1, Sho!" Unfortunately he put to much into the spell, Aizen easily stood his ground but behind said man the wall was cracked.

Aizen raised an eyebrow and told the orange head to limit his power, pointing at Ichigo's now bleeding right hand.

"How come?" Ichigo asked after notcig said blood.

"That Hado was not designed to be so powerful, if there was no consiquence for putting so much reiryoku into it, who would'nt?"

"People who don't have enough." Ichigo replied as he sucked on his finger.

"Now, try this..." And so Ichigo's mind boggling -to him- extra fast training continued.

**-Day 2-**

"Hado 31, Shakkaho!" Ichigo aimed his blast at a target, missing it.

"Hado 31, Shakkaho!" It blew up in his face, to Gin's -who was watching from the control room- amusement.

**-Day 3-**

"Bakudo 9, Horin." The orange kido cable wrapped around a dummy. Ichigo yanked on it... a little to hard. The dummy hit his face.

**-Day 4-**

**"Hado 33, Sokatsui." **His voice was garbled by his mask the spell flew true and hit it's mark, to a now sweating Ichigo's satisfaction.

"I never thought you'd come so far so fast, Ichigo. Continue." Ichigo muttered something about a cursed slave driver.

**-Day 5-**

"Bakudo 39, Enkosen!" A circular yellow sheild-like kido came out from his hand and went forward.

**-Day 6-**

"Hado 63, Raikoho!" A yellow ball rushed forth from his hand like a lightning bolt and exploded against the wall, he had trouble with anything over 60."

"If you keep this up we may have to practice outside Las Noches." Aizen said in reference to the rather variable aim of his student.

**-Day 7-**

"You rarely miss with the kido you know anymore, very good. Now try this, it's just two Sokatsui's at once. Hado 73, Soren Sokatsui." A wave of blue energy sht out from Aizens outstreched hands, scratch that, two waves of explosive energy.

"Hado 73, Soren Sokatsui." Ichigo said the energy blew up in his palms, it should be noted that Aizen never told Ichigo that incantations exist and forced him to do as well without it as normal shinigami could with it.

Ichigo closed his eyes, "Hado 73, Soren Sokatsui." The blue energy completely demolished the dummy.

"In comabt you can't close your eyes unless you can sense everything with your reiatsu sensitivity."

"Yes, Aizen-sensei."

**-Day 8-**

"You have mastered everything that I feel should be taught inside Las Noches, we'll train in the deserts." Aizen announced.

Ichigo nodded and followed him out.

Once in the sandy and always nightime wastes of Hueco Mundo Ichigo waited for Aizen to begin.

"You know the Cero, yes?"

"Yes."

"This particular Hado spell is rather more powerful. Hado 88, Hiryu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho." A huge blue cylinder of obviously lightning energy came from Aizen's steady palm, it flew for about 50 meters and then exploded on a dune.

"I don't expect you to master this for several days."

It so happend that Aizen was right, it took four days for Ichigo to get the spell to what you could call mastered, not truly but truly good enough.

"And now for the counter to this spell, Hado 81, Danku." A transparent like glass rectangle showed up infront of the borwn haired traitor. Taking the challenge Ichigo shot an 88 right into the sheild, it didn't even dent it.

"I'll teach you this and then my personal favorite and then we'll move onto finer zanjutsu and hakuda." Aizen told his star pupil, even Aizen was suprised by how fast the kid learned, still he would need months more to be called a real master of kido many months and a very proficient teacher.

**Authors Note: And there i chapter one, it should be duly noted that the preious chapter was the prolouge. Any spelling or Kido numbering issues should be reported in your review anyone who remembers the name for Hado 54 speak now. Please review, all previously mentioned truths aplly. If you think Ichigo learned the kido to fast... I agree. O well.**


End file.
